Public information films
British government film units, 1930-52
Will be published approx. on 23. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
344 pages
978-1-5261-9827-3 (ISBN)
Description
In the years after the First World War the British government had to adapt its communication policy to connect with the new mass electorate. This book examines the government's own Film Units and their slow development of the Public Information Film. By reviewing the entire film catalogue produced by the Empire Marketing Board, the General Post Office and Crown Film Units, particular themes are identified which not only reflect the demands of the Units' sponsors but also the anxieties and concerns of the 1930s and 1940s. The impact of the films is explored through the contemporary reaction of the audiences to them. By the time the Crown Film Unit was closed in 1952 a style of Public Information Film had been developed and continued into the 1970s. -- .
Reviews / Votes
'There is something about these films that keeps drawing people back every generation or so. Here is a fine addition to the literature on them, both as entry-level summary for novices and required reading for devotees: synthesising previous accounts, surfacing new information and adding insights.'- Patrick Russell, Journal of British Cinema and Television -- .
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Illustrations
21 black and white illustrations, 2 tables
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
396 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5261-9827-3 (9781526198273)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Alan J. Harding is a former Programme Director at the University of Southampton and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy -- .
Content
Introduction
1 A shaky start - the British Government and film, 1900-30
2 The Empire Marketing Board Film Unit: Tallents, Grierson, documentaries and the revival of government interest, 1930-33
3 The General Post Office Film Unit in peacetime, 1933-37
4 Rumours of War and the creation of the Crown Film Unit, 1938-40
5 The Crown Film Unit's wartime productions, 1940-45
6 The Crown Film Unit's post-war productions, 1946-52
7 Non-theatrical exhibition and audiences
8 Commercial and theatrical exhibition
9 The end of Government film making, 1951-52
10 Legacy
Index -- .
1 A shaky start - the British Government and film, 1900-30
2 The Empire Marketing Board Film Unit: Tallents, Grierson, documentaries and the revival of government interest, 1930-33
3 The General Post Office Film Unit in peacetime, 1933-37
4 Rumours of War and the creation of the Crown Film Unit, 1938-40
5 The Crown Film Unit's wartime productions, 1940-45
6 The Crown Film Unit's post-war productions, 1946-52
7 Non-theatrical exhibition and audiences
8 Commercial and theatrical exhibition
9 The end of Government film making, 1951-52
10 Legacy
Index -- .